Jack Johnson is a multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, surfer, and environmentalist.
Before turning to playing music professionally, Johnson had designs on a career as a pro surfer. Having grown up on the North Shore of Oahu, and, in particular, having made his way toward the center of the peak at Pipe, he was well on his way by his early twenties. However, he headbutted the reef out there, got more than 100 stitches in his forehead, and lost teeth.
Johnson subsequently went to UCSB to study film. He and his friend Chris Malloy cooked up the idea for what would become the seminal surf flick Thicker Than Water. A couple years later, they followed up with The September Sessions.
Johnson had been playing guitar and writing songs since childhood, and on one of the trips for his movies, he wrote a song called "Rodeo Clowns," which related to a trick his buddy Kelly Slater was working on. Johnson recorded the song with his friend G. Love of G. Love & Special Sauce. "Rodeo Clowns" became a hit.
His music career took off. One day he was a shy kid playing to a small crowd at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. The next he was on every radio station. Nine records, many hits, and a laundry list of awards followed.
In 2008, he and his wife, Kim, created the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, a non-profit public charity supporting environmental, art, and music education worldwide. They have three kids and live on the North Shore. Johnson still surfs regularly. In fact, his life is not terribly dissimilar to the one he knew growing up—though he's now a household name, sells out major venues, and sometimes hears his own music playing in the supermarket.
In this episode of Soundings, Johnson sits down with host Jamie Brisick to talk about growing up in Hawaii, his early dreams of pro surfing, the art of the soundtrack, connecting with nature, the making of Thicker Than Water and The September Sessions, penning lyrics, and the accident that changed the course of his life.
Presented by Rainbow® Sandals
Produced by Jonathan Shifflett
Music by PazKa (Aska Matsumiya & Paz Lenchantin)
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